Phoenix Coyotes remaining poised with series clincher at hand

by Sarah McLellan - May. 6, 2012 10:28 PMThe Republic | azcentral.com

When the Coyotes cruised along a Nashville highway to the airport to return to the Valley after Game 4, the silence on the bus ride was louder than the chatter from a few conversations among the players.

The vibe almost could be confused for a loss instead of a significant 1-0 victory that put the Coyotes comfortably up 3-1 in their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series against the Predators.

"No one was excited and loud," captain Shane Doan said.

Without a doubt, the team has relished its accomplishments to this point. The group hug that's formed around goalie Mike Smith's crease seven times now has evolved into cheers and claps in the dressing room.

But before the Coyotes exit the rink, the celebration is typically over.

The same shelf life persists with losses, and that refusal to let emotions dictate their approach is one of the reasons why the Coyotes have the opportunity to clinch a berth in the Western Conference finals Monday night in Game 5 at Jobing.com Arena.

"I think that's part of our identity," coach Dave Tippett said. "Our group, we make sure we don't get ahead of ourselves, and when we've got things to clean up, things are taken care of. Instead of an emotional approach, it's, 'Let's do it,' whether it's good or bad. 'Let's fix it' or 'Let's get doing it,' rather than just being emotional about it.

"Our group is very focused on what we have to do and not the highs and lows of emotions."

This attitude is easier said than done. A win this time of the season can inflate expectations just as quickly as a loss can cripple confidence.

But keeping their equilibrium has enabled the Coyotes to push back in a series when momentum shifts away from them.

In Round 1, after the Blackhawks stole home-ice advantage with a win in Game 2, the Coyotes responded with a pair of road victories. When the Blackhawks persevered in Game 5 to call for a meeting back in Chicago, the Coyotes delivered the final blow.

The same model has transpired in this series.

After the Predators earned a 2-0 win in Game 3, a 2-2 series seemed very likely. But the Coyotes answered with one of their better defensive efforts of the playoffs.

"It gives us confidence in knowing, well, we're going to do this and regardless of what they do, we're going to do that," Doan said. "We have the ability to kind of maintain that, and I think that's important. In situations where momentum kind of gets engaged in it, it doesn't really change our game too much.

"When it works for you, we want to use it. But it's not like we live off that. We just do our job."

While the Coyotes haven't overhyped each win, it's perhaps more important that they haven't let the defeats fester. They watch the video replays, examining the areas where they need to be better, but they don't let frustration swallow them.

They've yet to play in a must-win game this postseason, and part of that is because losses don't signal panic.

"We're not sulking," winger Gilbert Brule said. "We're not letting it bring us down. We know what we have to do better next game."

With one game separating the Coyotes from an appearance in the conference finals, it's natural to anticipate the excitement of being among the final four teams left competing for the Stanley Cup.

But the Coyotes' reaction to their success so far suggests party planning isn't high on their list. And until they arrive at their desired final destination, that's just fine with them.

"There'd be a pretty big celebration if we won the whole thing," Doan said. "When we get there, we'll worry about that. Right now, it's just one step at a time."

Monday night's game

Predators update: Forwards Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn are expected to be back in the lineup after sitting out Games 3 and 4. The pair was busted for breaking a team rule -- which many believe was a curfew violation -- but with the Predators on the brink of elimination, the team could use their offensive skills. Radulov still leads the team in postseason scoring with six points, and Kostitsyn is tied with two other players for a team-high three goals. Radulov has one assist against the Coyotes in the series, and Kostitsyn scored in Games 1 and 2.